Backbone
by CeruleanIce
Summary: What if Bella actually had a backbone in Eclipse, especially after Jacob assaulted her.


**A/N: Who else despises the fact that Bella got a lobotomy in Eclipse? And that all Charlie does is congratulate Jacob after he assaults her? Italics are extracts from the book. Just changing the pronouns**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise or any rights associated with it.**

 **Chapter 1**

 _She pulled her arm back and then let it snap forward, punching him in the mouth with as much power as she could force out of her body…_

The crack of bone breaking followed the collision of her fist with Jacobs face. She screamed in agony as the pain receptors in her brain registered the action. She jumped backwards from him, gingerly clutching her injured hand with the palm of her uninjured one and bracing it against her chest. She glared at Jacob before spinning around and striding as fast as she was able towards the road. She just needed to get off Quileute land, then Edward would be able to help her. Jacob called out to her from behind, his voice clouded with confusion.

"Bells!? Where are you going? Are you okay? What happened? Hey wait! Come on Bells you're overreacting!"

She fumed. Overreacting!? She was overreacting? He had just assaulted her. Her best friend had forced himself on her using his supernatural wolfy strength. And she was overreacting!? The nerve of that mutt. She had stood up for him against the scorn of the Cullens. Always trying to protect him and vouch for him. And he had turned around and done something that was unforgivable. She had only ever kissed Edward; the love of her life, and he had taken that away from her. She could only shudder in relief that that was the only thing that he had done. If Jacob was already that delusional she could only imagine what else he would have been able to force her into with his strength. No one would have heard or cared about her screams had he tried to rape her.

She could hear him attempting to start the piece of rubbish that was his car as she hurried along the edge of the tar towards the invisible border. She ducked into the trees lining the winding road and quickened her pace. She was almost there, just a little bit more. She gasped in relief as she crossed the line. Now all she had to do was keep evading Jacob while waiting for someone to come to her rescue. She kept thinking about what had just happened, hoping that Alice would be able to see it. She knew that she wouldn't be able to explain it to Edward.

She heard the screech of tires long before the car that was racing down the road in front of her was visible. She knew before even looking up from the gravel beneath her feet that the car was silver, and that the driver was murderous. She honestly couldn't blame him in the slightest. If it weren't for the pain clouding her mind, those murderous thoughts would belong to her too. Edward was at her side before she could blink, his cool gentle hands cradling her face and lifting it so that he could look into her eyes. She could not help the tears that escaped them.

"Oh my love…my Bella. Do not cry sweetheart, I'm going to make it all better. Come, let's take you to Carlisle so he can fix that hand. We need to get back before Jacob crosses that border or I will not be able to prevent myself from killing him with my bare hands and breaking the treaty."

Now was one of the many times that she wished that he could simply read her mind. To see how sorry she was for hurting him these past few months. She only voiced one of her thoughts though…for now.

"I wouldn't stop you if you did. He deserves to be treated like the mutt that he is," she mumbled.

"Bella? That doesn't sound like you. Normally you would be jumping to his defence. Not encouraging me to violently rip his head from his body."

She was quiet when she answered. "That was before he assaulted me…no matter how delusional he was, to go to those lengths to try to _win_ me. No. I'm not a toy that he can just covet. This little stunt of his has removed the wool from my eyes. He's no longer my Jacob, my friend. This _thing_ he is now is just some sort of vile, twisted version of the person I once knew. The pack has done that…and I never want to see any of them again, including him."

Her speech seemed to have momentarily shocked Edward, for his face had yet to change in expression. Moments passed before she saw the light return to his eyes. He was careful of her hand when he pulled her face passionately towards his to claim her mouth. Oh, ohhhhh…he had never kissed her like this before. Her brain turned to mush when he proceeded to pull her bottom lip into his mouth; away from his razor-blade sharp teeth, and suck in one strong pull. Her legs turned to jelly beneath her. She felt his hands cup her backside and pull her further towards him to prevent her from falling. He pulled back slowly, a victorious grin on his face as he nuzzled into her neck. She could only giggle at his reaction before his face once again turned serious.

"Sweetheart, we have to go now okay? As much as I would love to continue ravishing you, we need to see to that hand of yours; and to sort out Jacob Black."

She nodded at him as her brain cells started firing neurons again. Not that she wasn't distracted by the feel of his lips against hers the pain that originated from her hand had begun to throb. Definitely broken. She turned and placed her uninjured hand over Edwards once they were seated in the car.

"We need to stop by Charlies on the way, I want to get some clothes and things. I'm staying with you tonight. I'd much rather be closer to Carlisle if in fact my hand is actually broken."

He stated his agreement before starting the engine. The ride there was spent in comfortable silence. She loved that about Edward and her. They could sit in complete silence but yet still feel so very comfortable in each other's presence. It wasn't like with Jacob where he had to fill the silence with endless chatter of no importance, mostly concerning his day and how Sam was upset with him about this or that. Sam this, Sam that. The clouds that had covered her eyes had been lifted, and she now realised that he really was still just a little boy. The massive growth spurt afforded to him due to his shift into a werewolf had had no effect on the undeveloped maturity of his sixteen year old mind. He was still just a little boy that thought that he could get what he wanted because _he_ wanted it. Well enough was enough. She was not going to be manipulated by his games any longer.

They had just turned into Charlie's road when they heard the loud gunning of Jacob Black's engine…


End file.
